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(lfIo Model.) 0. W. BALDWIN. 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

GAS ENGINE.

P tented May 1,1883.

Noi 276,750.

- UNI ED STATES.

CYRUS w. BALDWIN,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO \VILLTAM E.

HALE, OF SAME PLACE.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,750, dated May 1, 1883.

Application filed January 5, 1883.

To all whom it may concern-f Be it known that I, Ovens W. BALDWIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in gas-engines and appliances, and in the mode of introducing the charge of gas and air, fully described hereinafter, whereby the full explosive effect of the charge is secured and the operation of the apparatus improved.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan in part section of a gas-engine illustrating my improvements. Fig. 2 is a part sectional elevation of the engine; and Fig. 3 is a detached section on the line 1 2, Fig. 1, showing the valve and plunger in a different position.

' A common cause of inefficiency in gas-ongines is the variable nature of the mixture admitted to the cylinder to be there exploded. If such mixture contains too large aproportion of gas, it will not explode, and the gas is forced out of the exhaust and wasted. It the proportion of gas is too small, the mixture is weak and the explosion lacks force. These results may be avoided by combining the gas and air, in proper proportions, in a reservoir and conducting the mixture from the latter to the cylinder; but this involves danger of the explosion of the entire contents of the reservoir, and necessitates the use of appliances, more or less effective, for preventing the flame from traveling back to the reservoir. 1 have found that by measuring off the precise quantity of gas and air required to produce a mixture having the bestexplosive effect, and conducting said gases separatelyinto the cylinder and there mixing them, I avoid all tendency to or danger of explosion outside of the cylinder, and also insure absolutely and invariably the use of such a mixture as will produce the best possible effect.

It will be obvious that many different apparatuses may be employed in carrying out this invention; and I do not limit myself to any specific devices,but will now proceed to describe those which have proved to beeffective.

The cylinder A is mounted upon the base A and is provided with a piston, B, connect- (No niodel.l t

ed, as usual,with the crank of the shaft G. The

chamber 66 therein communicating, through a channel, to, with a port, a, at the forward end of the cylinder, and with the channel to communicates a branch pipe, J, containing a valve, r, opening inward. The rear end of the chainber A is contractedto form a chamber, I), and to an opening, d, between the chambers to and b, is fitted a relief-valve, 0, opening inward, and drawn outward by a spring. Near the forward end of the cylinder is an exhaustport, a, so arranged as to be uncovered as the piston is near the end of its forward mo,- tion, and in a case, J communicating with this port, is avalve,w,openinginward,retained normally on its seat by a spring, 2, and opened positively atintervals, as described hereinafter. When the piston moves backward, the valve r lifts and air is drawn into the front end of the cylinder. WVhen the piston moves forward by the explosion of the gases at the valve 22 is set upon its seat, and the air is forced through the channel to into the chamber a,where it is compressed, the pressure of the exploding gases keeping the valve 0 on its seat and retaining the compressed air in the chamber a. After the piston passes the exhaust-port a the valve :0 is opened, the gases will discharge at the ex haust, and the pressure in the chamber A being reduced, the superior pressure of the compressed air in the chamber a will lift the valve 0, and the air thus suddenly rushing into the chamber A will drive out a greater portion of the spent gases and fill the chamber with air instead. 13y this means I clear the explosionehamber, but avoid the waste of gas which results from forcing out the spent gases by means of a new charge of explosive mixture in troduced into the cylinder while the exhaust is open. The air, instead of acting by its own pressure, maybe forced into the explosive-chamber byan independent pump; or it may be conducted from a reservoir separate from the cylinder A. i To measure and force in the charge of gas I use a cylinder, E, and a block or plunger, D, which draws in and measures the gas at one motion, and then forces it into the cylinder and into the air-charge already therein as or after the piston B begins its rear motion after the spent gases have been expelled, so that on the the latter, on its back-stroke, compresses the air, and that the gas is forced into this body of compressed air, so that the charge at the time of the explosion is under considerable compression.

the chamber 1), and a disk or valve, 71, is held against the rear end of'thc pump-cylinder by a spring, a.

A gas-pipe, t, communicates with the cylinder E at a pointa short distance from the rear end thereof, so that as the plunger D moves forward it will form a vacuum until it uncovers the port communicating with the pipe t, when the gas'will be drawn into the cylinder and till the same between the end of the piston and the valve It. On the back movement of the plunger the volume of gas thus measured oil will be forced out of the rear end of the cylinder E, (the valve 70 lifting,) into the channel g, and into the chamber of the main cylinder, with the air in which it will rapidly become mixed. To insure the complete discharge of the gas from the cylinder E, so that no gas can remain in the cylinder and expand while taking in the next supply, I impart such a movement to the plunger thatit will project, on its back motion, slightly beyond the cylinder, lifting the valve 71., which follows forward the plunger and takes its seat, sealing the end of the cylinder before the plunger moves therefrom. The thorough discharge of the contents of the pump is of greatimportance where such discharge must be effected under pressure, for it will readily be perceived that it, where there is such pressure and the pump-cylinder is not completely emptied, the actual amount expelled would vary with the pressure-that is,

if'the pressure is great the gas remaining in the pump-cylinder will be compressed to a corresponding degree and a greater quantity would remain in the pump, whereas if the pressure is light the amount actually retained in the same space will be less. This variation would result in variable and unequal charges in the proportions of gas and air and defeat the object of the invention. By filling the chamber in the cylinder with gas at a normal pressure,and then at each outstroke expelling every portion, the same quantity is measured oft, whatever may be the pressure against which the gas is expelled. Theextent to which the plunger is moved forward (and consequently the volume of gas measured ofl") is determined by varying the throw of the eccentric or other device for moving the piston. Thus the eccentric G is slotted for the passage of the shaft (3, and is bolted to a block, 9, on thelatter, and is adjustable so as to vary the throw. A rod, G connects the eccentric to the plunger, and carries a tappet, 12, which, as

The rear end of the chamber. communicates with a channel, g, leading to the piston B passes the port z, strikes alever, H, and thereby forces in the stem of the valve or and opens the latter for the outlet of the exhaust.

The charge may be exploded in any suitable manner; but I prefer to make the plunger perform also the ofliceot' an igniting-valve. For this purpose I make the plunger in two parts or sections, 1) and j, connected by a headed pin, 15, so that one part can move longitudinally to a slight extent independently of the other, thus forming a chamber, 0,, between them, and in the section pis an annular chamher,-7r, with orifices 16 at the end of the section, and channels ilead to an opening, 17, extending to the lower side of the piston.

At the side of the cylinder E is a chimney, a, receiving the flame or gas-jet from a burner, 0, there being an opening, 6, in the side of the cylinder opposite the burner. In the section 7' is a channel, 18, (shown in dotted lines,) and a channel, t, extends from the chamber 1) to V the cylinder E, as shown. A branch, t, of the gas-pipe extends to the lower side of the cylinderE atsuch a. pointas to admitgas to the opening 17, channels i, and chamber 7; as said opening 17 is brought over the pipe, which occurs after the section 19 has been drawn forward and separated from the section j, thereby forming the intermediate chamber or space, m into which the gas is drawn. As the sections are separated the flame is drawn into the space .00 through the opening 6 and ignites the gas issuing from the orifices 16. As the planger then moves farther forward, the section j covers the opening 6, after which the port 15 opens a communication between the space and the chamber b, whereby a. part of the explosive mixture is forced into the chamber 00 thereby preventing so sudden an inflow of gas when the chamber 012 is brought opposite the channel 6. The reduction of the chamber A at the rear, and the forcing of the gas into the chamber 1), thus formed, insures an immediate mixture of gas and air in the limited chamber 11, so thatthe mixture can be supplied as soon as it is needed in the flame-chamber of the valve.

It will be seen that the plunger or block D is cylindrical and fitted to acylindrical opening in the cylinder E, so that tightjoints can be easily secured by packing-rings J J at opposite sides of the igniting-openings and gaschannels, thereby preventing any escape of gas or admixture of air therewith. I thus avoid explosion around the valve or plunger. If desired, however, the plunger may be rectangular and packed at the opposite ends. By separating the two sections of the plunger, as described, I form such an intermediate vacuum as will insure the passage of the flame into the flame-chamber, without having at that time any connection with the main chamber A, and by introducing a. part of the explosive mixture into the flame-chamber I prevent absolutely any extinguishing of the flame.

Instead of making the plunger orignitingvalve in two parts, as described, a permanent chamber may be made at the center, and a sup plemental piston or plunger may be fitted to an opening and operated to exhaust said chamber at the proper time to draw in the gas and flame. The precise quantity of air introduced is regulated by the time for which the valve i is opened. By closing the valve before all the spent gases are expelled, a portion of such gases is retained to heat the air and gas and form such a mixture therewith as will insure the most effective result.

The air-inlet opening 0 may be placed at one side of the cylinder,so that the air-charge will traverse the cylinder transversely, and theoutlet-port and valve w may be in the piston instead of in the cylinder; or the piston may be hollow and provided with ports and valves to introduce the air, instead of having the airchamber and valves in the head I of the cylinder; t

It will of course be understood that a measuring and pumping device may be used sepa rately from the igniting-valve, in which case the plunger D, if used as a valve, may be provided with chambers and ports arranged to carry the flame by the rotation of the plunger instead of by a longitudinal movement. In either case the packing is used at opposite sides of the flame-openings.

The gas may in some instances be measured into the air-charge as or before it enters the chamber A. This is not advisable, however, when the entering-charge is to expel the spent gases.

I do not abandon or dedicate to the public any patentable features set forth herein and not hereinafter claimed, but reserve the right to claim the same either in a reissue of any patentthat may be granted upon this application or in other applications forLetters Haent that 1 may make.

I therefore elaim- 1. The mode of charging a gas-engine here in described, the same consisting in measuring ot'f prior to each explosion and regulating the precise quantity of gas required to form, with ure otf and expel the precise quantity of gas required to form the most effective mixture with the air within the cylinder, and ports and passages whereby said gas is conducted from the pump to and introduced into the air-charge prior to each explosion, substantiallyas specitied.

4. The combination of the cylinder, piston, chamber a, into which air is compressed by opening from said chamber into the explosionchamber and exhaust-port, and means, substantially as described, for opening the latter when the piston isin a forward position, whereby the air from the chamber a is caused to traverse the cylinder and expel the spent gases from the EXDIOSlOll-Cllilll'lbl', substantially as described.

5. The combination of the cylinder, its exhaust-port, piston, and air-inlet valve and gaspump, all arranged, as set forth, to permit the air to traverse the combustion-chamber as the piston completes is forward movement, to compress the air and force a measured charge of gas into the latter as the piston returns, and to condense the combined gases on such return movement of the piston, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the cylinder ofa gas-engine, of a chamber containinga supply of, air under pressure, and a communicating channel and relief-valve opening toward the explosion-chamber of the cylinder, whereby the air opens said valve and enters and traverses the explosion-chamber when the exhaust.

the chamber in front of the piston, and com municating with an inlet-opening provided with a valve, and a valve arranged between the air and combustion chambers, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of the cylinder, gaspump, valve closing the open end ofsaid pump,

gas-inlet arranged at a distance from said end, and plunger, all constructed to retain the face of the valve in close contact with the face of -the plunger of the pump until the valve is seated, for the purpose set forth.

10. The combination, with the cylinder of a gas-engine, ofa pump and gas-pipe communicating with the latter at a distance from the end to secure a vacuum before the gas is admitted. to the pump, as set forth.

11-. The combination, with the gas-pump, of an eccentric for operating the plunger of the same, said eccentric being radially adjustable on the shaft, for the purpose set forth.

12. The combination, with a gas-engine, of an igniting-valve consisting of a block arranged within a casing or cylinder packed at each end, and provided with gas and igniting ports and passages at points intermediate of the packing's, substantially as set forth.-

13. The combination of the burner, flame port or passage, gas-inlet tube and valve, and appliances, substantially as described, whereby a partial vacuum is created to draw the gas and flame into the valve prior to bringing the flame to the explosion-port, substantially as set forth.

14. Thecombination, with the igniting-valve having a flame-chamber, of means, substantially as described, for creating a partial vacuum therein, and a passage arranged topermit a part of the charge to pass from the cylinder to the said flame-chamber prior to the latter being put into communication with the igniting-port, substantially as set forth.

15. Thecombination, with the main cylinder, and its passages g c t, of a valve, D, having a channel, 18, a flame-chamber, and means, substantially as described, for exhausting the latter, and a passage leading to the gas-inlet port, and a burner, and a port, a, opposite said burner, all arranged substantially as set forth.

16. The reciprocating valve formed in two parts connected to permit a limited independent motion, and with a gas-chamber and passages, in combination with the main cylinder, its ports and passages, and with the ignitingburner, substantially as set forth.

17. The combination, with the cylinderA and its igniting-port, and the cylinder E and its flame-port, of the reciprocating valve D, having a central flame-chamber, and passages to conduct gas thereto, and packings at opposite sides of said chamber, substantially as set forth.

18. The combination, with the cylinder of a gas-engine, ofa plunger provided with a chamher and passages, and constructed and combined with ports and passages and valves, whereby to receive and conduct the flame to the explosion-port, and also to measure off-andpump in the gas-charge, substantially as specified.

In testimonywhereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CYRUS W. BALDWIN.

Witnesses:

DAVID SCOTLAND, I. 1?. SANDERS, 

